Taipei, May 20 (Reuters): Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian ruled out any immediate steps toward independence as he began a fresh four-year term, calling for better ties with China in remarks aimed at placating his giant communist neighbour and key ally the US.

Chen, 53, vowed in his inauguration speech to press ahead with contentious plans to adopt a new constitution in 2008, which Beijing views as tantamount to a declaration of independence. But the feisty Chen said the charter aimed to promote democracy and government efficiency.

“I am fully aware that consensus has yet to be reached on issues related to national sovereignty, territory and the subject of unification/independence,” he said after he took the oath of office under a steady drizzle at the presidential palace.

“Let me explicitly propose that these particular issues be excluded from the present constitutional re-engineering project,” said Chen, who survived a mysterious election-eve assassination attempt to win re-election by a razor-thin margin in March. Following weeks of political turmoil over Taiwan’s disputed elections, China warned Chen on Monday to pull back from a ”dangerous lurch toward independence” or be crushed “firmly and thoroughly at any cost”.

Since their split at the end of a civil war in 1949, Beijing has viewed Taiwan as a breakaway province that must be returned to the fold. China has deployed hundreds of missiles pointed at Taiwan.